Monday Reading is my weekly recommendation of something I’ve found thought-provoking or fascinating. Sometimes it is about something I have read. Sometimes it is about television or food or music or projects I care about supporting. Sometimes I do not send it on Monday. Please share with anyone who might like the vibes!
You might remember my profound love for things that look like other things (TTLLOT). Since I posted some favorites in 2023, I’ve been saving new candidates in my Notes app and on Instagram, and I decided it was time to share them again.
Ideally, the object mimics the real function or character of the OT. This principle makes me a discerning and rigorous shopper. Jenny Lemons has a LOT of food-themed hair claws, but I like the taco one best because it follows the form—the hair becomes part of the taco filling. You put the pens in the mouth of the whale. You use the hedgehog’s quills to brush (or to better dry your clothing). The bird’s wing lifts. The gyoza is stuffed with stuff. You get it.
Here are my recent favorites. Note that the sizing of the photos is all weird—they are not relative to one another or accurate representations of size.
William Whale pencil case, Donna Wilson Ltd. (U.K. company), $37 USD
Taco hair claw, Jenny Lemons, $24 USD
Hedgehog table brush, Boston General Store, $22 USD
Gyoza pouch, Shibua Stationery (Japanese company), $31 USD
Crane scissors, for personal grooming, Kikkerland, $14 USD, and for sewing, Iris & Stout, $27
Fish nail clippers, set of two, Kikkerland, $8
Hedgehog dryer balls, Kikkerland, $12.50 USD (Kikkerland is very good at this sort of thing)
Mockingbird pouch, Portland Leather Goods, $24
Happy gift-giving! See you soon.
I used to have a series at a blog called "things that look like other things". Unfortunately you can't see many of the things anymore, but it was a fun bit for a while. I swear there is a Philip Glass piece that sounds like Poker Face. https://web.archive.org/web/20120309031353/http://joshuamalbin.com/tag/things-that-look-like-other-things/